Do the words “Arctic air” fill you with fear and trembling? Does your blood run cold at the thought of a remote and inhospitable region that brings nothing but misery to the Midwest?
Think again — that’s only in the winter.
Now, thanks in part to global warming, the Canadian north in the summer offers temperatures in the 70s with near-zero humidity, abundant sunshine and long hours of daylight, and clean, clear air.
And with modern technology, it’s easier to get there. As recently as the 196Os it took at least three days to fly from Chicago to Baker Lake, an isolated Inuit community in the Northwest Territories near the geographic center of Canada. (Baker Lake is not reachable by road, rail or water). But since last summer, two new and luxurious Swedish-built planes (Saabs) have been put into service by Calm Air, a Canadian Airlines partner, between Baker and Winnipeg connecting with an Air Canada flight from Chicago. Now the trip can be done in one day.
Because the plane flies low over the Hudson Bay coast and stops at all the communities along the way (Baker Lake is the end of the line), there is lots to see — and at the little airports along the way entire native families including babies, elders and dogs gather to greet their loved ones.
For tourists, Baker Lake (pop. 1,200) is the best equipped village on this route. Though 150 miles south of the Arctic Circle, locals consider this the Arctic. The only non-coastal Inuit settlement in the “Arctic,” it also is the warmest, located on the unspoiled northwest shore of a scenic 60-mile-long, 19-mile-wide lake connected to Hudson Bay by Chesterfield Inlet, one of the world’s longest inlets.
Originally called Quamanittuaq in Inuktitut, the native language, it means “big lake inland.” Rich in history, Baker Lake has always been visitor friendly, but now with a brand new first-class museum, colorful historical sites, notable arts and crafts, a stunning visitors center, a superb lodge and the easy new flights, it’s a carefully guarded secret no longer.
If you’re very fit and adventurous, you may enjoy rugged hiking trails that lead to archeological sites, some as old as 3,000 years. Canoeing and kayaking on the Thelon and Kazan Rivers, which empty into Baker Lake, are possible as well as boating on the lake itself. And you can camp either with local natives or in a clean, nicely equipped little campground just outside of town.
If you’re part of the “white-haired crowd,” as the locals call it, you can simply enjoy the comforts of Baker Lake Lodge, savor three hot, home-cooked meals a day (no continental breakfast here), catch up on your reading or just look out at incomparable scenery through the big picture windows of the contemporary, smoke-free main lodge.
But sooner or later, even the white-haired crowd will want to walk about the hamlet (as it’s called in the north), filling their lungs with unpolluted, allergen-free air, learning about the Inuit heritage and shopping to your heart’s content with an American dollar now worth $1.47 in Canadian.
During a week spent there last August, I first went out on the land for a couple of nights of traditional tundra camping; I was lucky enough to join Elizabeth Alooq, David Aksawnee and their families in canvas and caribou skin tents next to a freshwater pond. From the cry of the loon at dusk to the Arctic wolf at my door at dawn (with the Northern Lights in between), it was a camper’s paradise.
True to Inuit tradition, my hosts shared everything from mouthwatering caribou and bannock around the fire to tales of their tragic past as survivors of the massive starvation in the 1950s. And they taught me to love that hauntingly beautiful treeless landscape as much as they do.
Back at Baker Lake Lodge, the hot shower felt good. Later, snuggling under a pink silk comforter with windows open to the soft lake breezes, I had to remind myself I was still in the “Arctic.”
I spent the rest of the week learning more about these brave aboriginals who led a nomadic existence for thousands of years and now are trying to get ready for life in the 21st Century without losing their identity.
The Akumalik Visitor Centre is the place to begin. Housed in the original Hudson’s Bay Co. trading post, one of the oldest buildings in the area, it has been lovingly restored to the days when native people straggled in to exchange furs for guns and packaged food (today only souvenirs are sold). Also soon to be restored near the lodge is the old Anglican church, one of the earliest missions in the north.
The high point is the new Inuit Heritage Centre called Itsarnittakarvik (“place where old things are kept”). A state-of-the-art museum, it was conceived and now is managed by David Webster, a retired Baker Lake schoolteacher. Moved by the elders’ sadness at their dying heritage, he raised a million dollars to get the project underway. Now it has displays, dioramas, an outstanding collection of native artifacts and daily demonstrations of native skills indoors and out.
If you want to acquire Inuit art, Baker Lake is a good source. Its women artists are noted for their colorful wall hangings (sold at Baker Lake Arts and Crafts), the men for regional stone carvings (at Ookpictuyuk Art) as well as gorgeous prints. The striking Jessie Oonark Centre, however, named for Baker’s most famous artist, still has only sweatshirts as it awaits full operation to make art prints.
Don’t miss the Northern, formerly the Hudson’s Bay Co.’s mammoth general store, carrying everything but the kitchen sink (which you could probably order). Inquire locally for business hours here and elsewhere because the Inuit do not follow a 9-to-5 lifestyle.
Between excursions, I spent hours hiking alone on the roads and tundra, sitting on the shore in the bright sun and contemplating the trade-offs of civilization and the power of the human spirit that enabled these people to come from a stone-age existence and near extinction only 45 years ago. In 1999, they will become rulers of their own land again when an independent territory called Nunavut will be formed from the Northwest Territories.
From many vacations you come home with souvenirs, a tan and a funny hat. You can do the same from Baker Lake, but your hat will say “Nunavut” (“our land”), and it will remind you of a sunny far-north summer and gentle, smiling people full of hope for the future.
IF YOU GO
GETTING THERE
If you take the 9:50 a.m. Air Canada flight from Chicago to Winnipeg you can connect with the 3 p.m. Calm Air flight to Baker Lake and arrive that evening. Round-trip fare to Winnipeg is around $300 (all prices American dollars) and about $800 from Winnipeg to Baker. Canadian Airlines: 800-426-7000; Air Canada (for Calm Air): 800-776-3000.
– LODGING
Baker Lake Lodge has five spacious cabins clustered around a sparkling, modern bathhouse and a large 2-bedroom suite with kitchen, living room and private bath. Rates, including all meals and airport transfers, begin at $85 per person (the suite is $120.50). 867-793-2905 (fax: 867-793-2965).
– WHEN TO GO
The lodge is open only from mid-June through September. By October the long northern winter sets in.
– WHAT TO TAKE
Sturdy walking shoes (roads are not paved), pants, sweatshirts, T-shirts for hot days, a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and bug spray. Take a medium-weight jacket (you’ll see natives in fur-trimmed parkas, but they’re often the only jackets they own) and a waterproof poncho. Film is expensive, so take plenty. And don’t forget cash or checks as not all stores take credit cards, and there are no ATMs.
